Systems for access control often consist of a centralized unit that monitors and controls the operation of a number of remote units. The systems are commonly used with gated communities, restricted access apartment complexes, office complexes, research facilities, or in other situations where there is a need or desire to create a restricted access area. These systems are also often installed and used with single-family residences. The remote units generally control access to the restricted or secure area and require an individual seeking entry into the secure area to interact with the remote unit located at a gate or entry barrier by inputting an appropriate code into the local security unit or to call on a telephone or similar system located at the local security unit a person at a location within the restricted area with authority and means to allow the individual seeking access to enter.
Use of standard telephone lines offers one of the most economical and efficient ways of connecting remote security units with a central control unit. It only involves the connecting of a standard telephone line to the remote unit. Communication between the computer system of the remote unit and the central unit is then handled by standard modems connected to the computer systems of the central unit and the remote unit. However, as with any system as complicated and intricate as a remotely operated security system, problems arise during operation with the system including the break down of the communication link between the central control unit and the remote unit. When these episodes occur and prove intractable, the manufacturer or distributor of the systems has to dispatch a trained technician to service the remote unit. Sometimes it may entail the replacement of hardware that has malfunctioned on the remote system. However, the telephone line itself can be the primary cause of the communication problem between the remote security unit and central control unit.
More often than not, the problem in maintaining a satisfactory communication link between the customers control center and the customers remote security unit is due to inadequate telephone line quality of the local telephone company's telephone lines. Modem to modem communications between computers requires a higher standard of telephone line quality then voice communication. Excessive noise or other interference on a telephone line may only be a background annoyance when someone is speaking on a telephone but for modem to modem communications between computers it can significantly degrade communication performance and often result in the termination of communication. Typically, when excessive noise or static occurs on a telephone line, in order to continue communications the modems will drop the baud rate they are operating at. If the interference becomes too sever, the modems will stop communication. To further complicate this problem, the quality of the telephone lines operating characteristics may vary during the course of the day depending on local power usage or other factors. Such interference can result from a variety of sources. One of the most common arises from adjacent power line interference. Generally, telephone lines share the same poles or conduits with power lines when passing through or over public utility rights of way. Thus, the lines are exposed to the transient magnetic and electric fields generated by adjacent power lines, power line transformers, capacitor banks and the like. Additionally, as power usage varies during the day the severity or even the existence of the problem for modem-to-modem communication will vary. For instance, in the early afternoon when the power grid may be handling very heavily loads, in particular for industrial applications, the interference can be significant. Where as during periods of low load, such as early morning or late evening, the problem may be nonexistent.
When a technician goes to the location of the remotely located security unit to determine the problem, assuming it involves a communication problem, one of the tests that he or she will need to do is to test the quality of the telephone line. Typically, testing the quality of the local telephone line involves connecting a telephone line tester to the remotely located security unit's telephone line and calling a quiet line and a tone line. With the quiet line and tone lines as a base, various parameters of the quality of the subject telephone line being tested can be determined including the noise on the line. This is the standard way a telephone company tests the quality of their lines. Telephone companies typically have quiet and tone lines set aside for use by their own service personnel. However, they usually are reluctant to let outside parties use these lines.
Communications problems can be among the most debilitating problems in maintaining a remotely controlled security system. In more sophisticated security systems, most problems with remotely located security units can be identified by communicating with the computer and monitoring the operation of the remote security system. Remotely located systems often have fairly sophisticated computer systems that include diagnostic units for detecting and identifying hardware and software problems and failures. In fact some of the problems can be corrected over the communication link without the need of sending a trained technician to the unit. However, if the communication link is poor or subject to frequent interruption, diagnosing the problems becomes all the more difficult.
Thus, what is needed is a system and method for identifying and resolving communications problems with a remote security system. Such a system should include a system and method that will identify and resolve communication problems on a local telephone line used to communicate with the local unit without having to send a trained technician to the site of the remote security system. Additionally, such a system and method should be implementable without the assistance of the local telephone company.